Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘Monday Memos’ we’re going to discuss a very important, yet tragic day for the music industry. March 31st marks the 22nd anniversary of Selena Quintanilla-Perez’s brutal murder. This event truly shook the world due tot he singer’s wide appeal & seemingly endless unfulfilled potential. Last week was the 20th anniversary of the Selena biopic, which starred a young Jennifer Lopez as the iconic singer. Throughout the movie we get to see key points in Selena’s professional and personal life, and just why this star had such a wide and loving fan base. To honor an entertainer that meant (and continues to mean) so much to people worldwide, I thought that it would be cool to take a look at her music as we explore all she did in the music industry, and all she could’ve done. Ready? Ok, let’s go!!!

As a childhood performer in the early 80s, Selena faced much opposition in the male dominated Tejano music scene. Despite this obstacle, she steadily grew more popular, and eventually began to gain true notoriety in 1987 when she won Female Vocalist of the Year at the ‘Tejano Music Awards (which she won 9 consecutive times in career). She then signed with EMI Latin in 1989 and released her self-titled debut album. Her 2nd album ‘Ven Conmigo’ (released in 1990), produced fan favorite track ‘Baila Eata Cumbia’. Her next album, Entre a Mi Mundo (released in 1992) peaked at #1 on the U.S Regional Mexican Albums chart for 19 nonconsecutive weeks. This album contained fan favorites such as: Como La Flor, La Carcacha, and Selena’s 1st English language track ‘Missing My Baby’. Her 4th album ‘Live’ (released in 1993) won Best Mexican/American Album at the 1994 Grammy Awards, which made her the 1st Tejano artist to win this award. Her 5th album ‘Amor Prohibido’ (released in 1994) found great success and broke the U.S. Billboard Top Latin Albums chart record with a 96 consecutive week hold at the #1 spot. The album contained numerous songs that critics agree are some of Selena’s best, including: title track ‘Amor Prohibido’, Bidi Bidi Bom Bom, Fotos y Recuerdos, among numerous others. The album received a surge of popularity following Selena’s death 1 year later, and is still tied for 2nd as the one of the best selling U.S. Latin albums of all time. Her final album ‘Dreaming of You’ was released posthumously in 1995. The album was meant to serve as Selena’s English cross-over album, but due to her death contained a mix of previously unreleased English and Spanish tracks. ‘Dreaming of You’ won Album of the Year at the 1996 Tejano Music Awards, and Female Pop Album of the Year at the 2nd Annual Billboard Latin Music Awards. The album received overall praise from critics due to tracks such as: title track ‘Dreaming of You’, ‘I Could Fall in Love’, and Wherever You Are (Donde Quinta Que Estes’ feat. the Barrio Boyzz.

In the span of 5 short years, Selena made a lasting impact on the music industry and still serves as an inspiration to artists across various genres. Her legacy also inspired the 1997 film ‘Selena’, which launched the career of triple threat Jennifer Lopez, and opened at #2 its’ opening weekend. Over 21,000 people auditioned for the role, making it the 2nd largest audition since Scarlett O’Hara in ‘Gone With The Wind’. In 2016 makeup company MAC announce its’ collaboration with Selena’s family in order to produce a Selena line of makeup. In 2017 Selena received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame among numerous other influential stars. It’s evident that she has become an immovable part of music history, due to the fact that even over 2 decades later we still find ourselves revisiting her music and story. Few artists can truly say that they have been able to capture the heart of the world in such a way, and it is obvious that we will continue to marvel over her for decades to come.

All photos and information used in this blog belong to YouTube, Selena Quintanilla-Perez, Q-Productions, EMI Latin, EMI America, Capitol Latin, Universal Music Latin, Barrio Boyzz, Billboard, Tejano Music Awards, Billboard Latin Music Awards, Selena, Jennifer Lopez, Scarlett O’Hara, Gone With The Wind, MAC, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Gregory Nava, Abraham Quintanilla Jr., Moctesuma Esparza, Robert Katz, Warner Bros., A.B. Quintanilla, Pete Astudillo, Chrissie Hynde, Keith Thomas, Franne Golde, K.C. Porter, Miguel Flores, Desmond Child, and all companies, individuals, corporations, managers, writers, producers, authors, publishers, and/or businesses that should receive credit for anything mentioned in this blog post, and all original owners. I do not own anything in this blog. If any people, corporations, businesses, companies, etc, were not previously given credit for their work, they are given credit now and their previous absence was unintentional. All opinions expressed in this blog are my own. I wrote this blog for entertainment purposes and no copyright infringement is intended.

Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘Monday Memos’ we are going to recap the 2014 Teen Choice Awards, which aired Sunday night (Sunday August 10th, 2014). The show was full of exciting performances, lots of cool awards that were given to our favorite stars, and of course, two hilarious hosts who kept who made the party even more fun. So if you missed the show Sunday night, or you just want to experience the fun again, then please read on to see why this year’s show was the best one yet!!! Our two hosts for the evening were two of our favorite TV/Film stars, Tyler Posey (most well known for his role as Scott McCall in the TV version of the hit 1980s film ‘Teen Wolf’), and Sarah Hyland (who stars as Haley Dunphy on one of ABC’s most acclaimed sitcoms ‘Modern Family’). When it was announced that Tyler and Sarah were hosting, I got really excited for the show. I knew that they were going to do an awesome job, but after seeing them in action, I found that they definitely exceeded my expectations. After the show’s opening performance, Tyler and Sarah instantly showed off their comedic talents with a hilarious opening monologue where the discussed how to open the show. Tyler suggested that they sing a song (and then he started singing Demi Lovato’s hit song ‘Really Don’t Care’, and began to attempt to break dance). After a lot of debate, they decided to open the show by presenting the first award. There were numerous other funny moments, such as Tyler wearing a hula girl outfit, and Tyler reuniting with his ‘Maid in Manhattan’ costar Jennifer Lopez. I thought that Tyler and Sarah made a great duo, and were really able to play off each other’s strengths. They definitely gave an unbelievable performance that will not be forgotten. Ok, now let’s move on to the awards!!!

Awards:

Choice Summer Song: Demi Lovato ‘Really Don’t Care’

This song has definitely been a huge hit and fan favorite for Demi this year. The track peaked at #4 on the ‘US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs’, and the official music video for the track currently has 25,506,438 views, so it’s easy to see that this song is a fan favorite.

Choice Movie Actor in a Drama: Ansel Elgort ‘The Fault in Our Stars’

Ok, we all knew that this one was coming because ‘The Fault in Our Star’ was arguably the most anticipated movie of 2014. Ansel certainly shined in this film, and proved that he is “on a roller coaster that only goes up my friend”…yes I couldn’t help it, I had to use that quote. ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ has quickly catapulted Ansel onto the A-list and with the impending release of ‘Insurgent’ (the sequel to the VERY popular and successful movie ‘Divergent’), Ansel’s star is only going to rise.

Choice TV Show Drama: ‘Pretty Little Liars’

Honestly any competition that ‘Pretty Little Liars’ is in they will win, because the show is popular, well written, full of talented actors/actresses, and able to captivate an audience week after week, season after season. If you have seen the show, then you know why it won, if you haven’t seen the show, then watch it and you will know why it won.

Choice Reality Show: Keeping Up With The Kardashians

After all of these seasons, The Kardashians’ are still able to entice viewers enough to watch the ever growing family’s every move. All of the members of the family have been able to use this show to launch themselves into the career of their choosing, and in doing so have set the standard for reality stars.

The Hunger Games has had such a large impact on pop culture, that it’s easy to see why the franchise would be nominated. Josh Hutcherson’s portrayal of one of the main male characters has definitely been a large reason as to why this franchise has done, and continues to do so well. Josh is also a fan favorite, who has grazed numerous teen magazines, and currently has 2.6 million Twitter followers…so needless to say he is a VERY big deal.

Choice Movie Actress in an Action: Shailene Woodley ‘Divergent’

Right now Shailene Woodley is one of Hollywood’s golden stars. Literally every project that this talented actress touches becomes a box office hit, so it’s easy to see why she won this award. Along with her incredible performance in ‘Divergent’, Shailene has also grazed numerous magazine covers, and causes fan mania everywhere she goes, 2014 has truly been her year, and with ‘Insurgent’ in its way there is no stopping Shailene.

Candie’s Choice Style Icon

Zendaya

Over the past few years, actress/singer/dancer Zendaya has certainly evolved within her sense of fashion, and has also proven that she is not afraid to take risks. He enviable sense of style has even landed her the role of spokes model for pop icon Madonna and her daughter Lourdes’ clothing line ‘Material Girl’. If the original Material Girl approves of her, who are we to disagree.

Choice TV Actress in a Drama: Lucy Hale

Three words for you…Pretty Little Liars. This show has seriously been gold for ABC Family ever since it first premiered, and there is no stopping this powerhouse drama. On the show, Lucy Hale has been able to develop her character of Aria into a complex young woman who we cry with, cheer for, and basically go on an emotional roller coaster for (yes it’s exhausting but we love it), it can be hard for many actresses to pull off a character such as Aria, however Lucy does so with ease.

Choice Movie Drama: The Fault in Our Stars

Ok, I think that when you hear the words “movie” and “drama” in the same sentence, you will forever think of ‘The Fault In Our Stars’. This film had audiences laughing, crying, and then crying even more. John Green was able to take the story of two young love struck teenagers with cancer, and turn it into a movie that inspired us to love a little deeper, value our friends a little more, and to never take anything (especially) life for granted. If this doesn’t scream ‘Choice Drama’ to you, then I don’t know what will.

At just 18 years old, Bethany has taken the internet by storm and in doing so has set an incredibly high standard for what can be done with passion, talent, hard work, and a camera. Bethany has been able to forge her own career that has taken her from a teenager making videos in her bedroom, to a fashion/home decor designer, Red Carpet correspondent, upcoming guest host on the hit fashion reality competition ‘Project Runway’, and all around business mogul (not bad for a teenager who started making videos because she was being bullied by her middle school classmates).

Choice Male Web Star: Tyler Oakley

Much like Bethany Mota, Tyler Oakley has stated that he didn’t originally start his YouTube channel for fame, fortune, or recognition. Initially, Tyler began his YouTube channel in order to keep in touch with his friends after he went off to college. Tyler was able to expand these videos into a YouTube channel that contains various videos that cover fun and serious topics, fun TAGs with other famous YouTubers, and advice videos. Tyler has also expanded his brand into guest columnist spots on various popular websites, red carpet correspondent work, online apparel line, and advocate for organizations such as ‘The Trevor Project’ and ‘Kids Beating Cancer’.

Ultimate Choice Award: Selena Gomez

With a professional career spanning more than half a decade (over a decade if you count her ‘Barney & Friends’ years), Selena Gomez has demonstrated her strengths as an actress, singer/songwriter, and dancer. At just 15 years old, Selena began her career as the lead character of the highly successful Disney Channel show ‘Wizards of Waverly Place’, and this set off an avalanche of numerous other film projects that Selena would take part in over the next few years. At age 16, Selena released her debut album ‘Kiss & Tell’ with her band ‘Selena Gomez & The Scene’. The album was certified Gold, and produced the Platinum single ‘Naturally’. Selena has since continued her success within the music industry with the release of three more albums with her band ‘The Scene’, and 1 solo album under the name ‘Selena Gomez’. Selena has also collaborated with numerous brands such as: Borden’s, State Farm, Sears, etc., on various projects. She has also released her own clothing line called ‘Dream Out Loud’ through K-Mart. With such a long and detailed resume at the tender age of 22, it is easy to see that Selena is a bright star that succeeds at whatever she attempts.

Olay Fresh Effects Breakout Star: Odeya Rush

With appearances in various commercials, short films, the Disney film ‘The Odd Life of Timothy Green’, and hit TV shows such as: Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Odeya is truly Hollywood’s most well kept secret…until now. In 2013 it was announced that she was cast in the upcoming Sci-Fi thriller ‘The Giver’, and since then has been cast in ‘Mary, Mother of Christ’, and a Goosebumps’ film based off of the popular R.L. Stein books. I definitely thought that Odeya deserved this award, because it is obvious that she is a star on the rise, who we will all be talking about in 2015.

Choice Music Breakout Group: 5 Seconds of Summer

With their breakout hit ‘She Looks So Perfect’, 5 Seconds of Summer exploded on to the music scene this summer, and won the hearts of music fans worldwide. The band originally obtained fame and recognition by posting cover videos of popular songs on YouTube, and touring with popular bands such as Hot Chelle Rae (in 2012), and One Direction (in 2013). However the summer of 2013 was the start of a golden era for this band, due to the success of ‘She Looks So Perfect’, and their debut self-titled album. The band is currently (in 2014) on tour with One Direction, and are also nominated for an MTV EMA (Europe Music Awards), VMA (Video Music Awards), and the We Love Pop Awards. So yes, this is the band that everyone will be fangirling/fanboying over for a while!

Choice Female Artist: Ariana Grande

2014 has certainly been the year of Ariana, with multiple #1 hit songs, a highly successful TV show on Nickelodeon (even though the show did get cancelled this year, it still had great ratings when it was on), and a highly anticipated sophomore album , Ariana is showing no signs of slowing down. The young entertainer currently has 17.3 million very loyal followers (yeah that’s A LOT), and more or less the same numbers on all of her social media accounts, so needless to say the world loves Ariana Grande.

*There were a lot of other awards that were not given out during the show that I wanted to include, but then the blog would have been A LOT longer, so to see a complete list, please check out 2014 Teen Choice Awards – News.

Performances:

Demi Lovato ‘Really Don’t Care’:

Demi kicked off the show with her rendition of her hit song ‘Really Don’t Care’. She was dressed in a black leather jacket, and fitted black pants and top. Demi gave a very energetic performance which included a stage full of fun backup dancers that helped kick the show off on a high energy, fun vibe. Cher Lloyd appeared midway through the track (she is a featured artist on the song), and added even more energy to the performance. The crowd really seemed to love every minute of the number, and this performance definitely proved why this song won Demi ‘Choice Summer Song’ this year.

Magic! ‘Rude:

If you’ve listened to the radio this summer, then you know this hit song by ‘Magic!’. Rude has gone Platinum innumerous countries, as well as topping the charts all over the world. The band’s performance gave off a very relaxed vibe that perfectly matched the feel of the song. They also dressed in very casual clothing. You could really tell just how popular this band has become, due to the fact that they didn’t have to do very much to get the crowd involved and singing along to every word.

Rixton ‘Wait On Me’ and ‘Me and My Broken Heart’:

Next up we had a performance by the YouTube cover band turned Pop/R&B hit makers Rixton (if you want to learn all about this AMAZING band, please click the link to read the blog post I wrote about them here: YouTube Wednesday: Rixton, the band you will be fangirling/fanboying about ALL YEAR!!! | celindareyesblog). Rixton performed their newest single (and title track of their upcoming album) ‘Wait On Me’. The band was able to get the crowd really excited for the new song, and definitely built anticipation for their upcoming album. They then really got the crowd excited when they dove into their hit single ‘Me and My Broken Heart’, which has been ALL OVER the radio this year.

Becky G ‘Shower’:

Although Becky G was a last minute replacement artist (after Rita Ora was not able to perform), she pulled off the number with ease. She went very 90’s retro with her look, by pairing a white crop top with high waisted jeans, gold high tops, and a long plaid kimono style shirt. She also had a backboard that showed different colored smiley faces with a gap between the two front teeth (which is a play off of the gap that Becky had between her two front teeth, that haters often make fun of online).Becky has had tremendous success with this new single, and is definitely on her way to becoming a HUGE name in Pop/Rap music. This performance of ‘Shower’ truly showed off the full range of Becky’s talents, by showcasing her singing, raping, and dancing skills. Through this performance, Becky was able to not only win over the affection of the crowd, but was able to show that she is already a very talented, hardworking performer that is able to adapt to nay situation that is thrown at her (and this is even more impressive when you consider the fact that she’s only 17 years old).

Jason Derulo ‘Wiggle’ and ‘Talk Dirty’:

Jason Derulo closed the show with an exceptionally well executed performance of his hit tracks ‘Wiggle’ and ‘Talk Dirty’. The number was action packed and full of energy that excited the crowd. Jason was accompanied with numerous backup dancers, and special effects such as a police car appearing on stage, and dancers dressed as police officers. I definitely thought that this was the perfect artist to close a show that was full of fun, nonstop action.

All photos and information used in this blog belong to any people, businesses, corporations, sponsors, and/or any other persons associated in any way, shape, or form with The Teen Choice Awards, Modern Family, Teen Wolf, The Fault In Our Stars, Divergent, Pretty little Liars, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Josh Hutcherson, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Candie’s, Zendaya, Shailene Woodley, Lucy Hale, ABC Family, Bethany Mota, Tyler Oakley, YouTube, Selena Gomez, Barney & Friends, Disney Channel, Wizards of Waverly Place, Kiss & Tell, Selena Gomez and The Scene, Borden’s, State Farms, Sears, Odeya Rush, Olay Fresh Effects, John Green, The Odd Life of Timothy Green, K-Mart, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Giver, Goosebumps, R.L. Stein, Mary, Mother of Christ, 5 Seconds of Summer, EMA, VMA, MTV, YouTube, Hot Chelle Rae, One Direction, We Love Pop Awards, Ariana Grande,Nickelodeon, Cher Lloyd, Magic!, Becky G, Jason Derulo, Tyler Posey, Sarah Hyland, Demi Lovato, Jennifer Lopez, Hollywood Records, Maid in Manhattan,MTV, ABC, Billboard, justjaredjr.com, Ansel Elgort, and all other original owners. I do not own anything in this blog, the absence of credit to any deserving party was not intentional, and I apologize if this occurred. All opinions expressed in this blog are my own. I wrote this blog for entertainment purposes and no copyright infringement is intended.

Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘Monday Memos we are going to discuss the band Parmalee, a new country group who is steadily on the rise to become legendary. This band exploded onto the music scene in 2012 with the release of their debut single ‘Musta Had A Good Time’, and followed it up with their 2013 sophomore smash single ‘Carolina’. Parmalee has already proven that they are not only talented musicians, but have the artistry to write music that is relevant to their fans lives, and in doing so have earned country music fans’ love and respect. So please read on, while we discuss why Parmalee is a band on the rise, and definitely a musical force that you NEED to keep your eyes on.

Parmalee is a country band from Parmale, North Carolina. The members of the band include: Matt Thomas (lead vocals, guitar), Scott Thomas (drums), Barry Knox (bass) and Josh McSwain (guitar). Brothers Matt and Scott gained experience as performers by playing in their father’s group ‘Jerry Thomas and the Thomas Brothers Band’. Eventually, their father retired, but they decided to continue performing. The brothers enlisted their cousin and childhood best friend, and thus Parmalee was born. The band released their debut EP ‘Daylight’ in 2002, and in doing so was able to draw attention from producer David Bendeth (an award winning producer who has worked with numerous award winning bands) of RCA Records. David invited them to record 3 songs at ‘Water Music Studios’ in Hoboken, New Jersey. This led to a publishing deal with Los Angeles-based ‘Windswept Publishing’. David then invited the band to record the remainder of the 12 songs that eventually became Parmalee’s debut LP ‘Inside’. Following the release, of ‘Inside’, Parmalee spent the next 2 years touring and promoting the album. During this time, Parmalee also released a live acoustic album called ‘Unplugged’, and a documentary-style DVD entitled ‘Inside Live’. In 2006, they went to Los Angeles, CA, and began to record with producer Stevo Bruno.. Parmalee continued to tour and record in Los Angeles, and were even given the opportunity to collaborate with on several tracks with Nikki Sixx ( the bassist of ‘Mötley Crüe’). Finally, Parmalee travelled to Nashville, TN to write, produce, and mix the remainder of the record with producer Kevin Beamish. After years of hard work and travel, Parmalee dropped their EP ‘Complicated’ in 2008. While in Nashville, the band met David Fanning from ‘New Voice Entertainment at Sound Stage Studios’, and collaborated to create the band’s debut hit track ‘Musta Had a Good Time’. This song led to Parmalee’s production and record deals with Stoney Creek Records. Parmalee has stated that the inspiration for ‘Musta Had a Good Time’ came from personal experience. One of the band’s lead vocalists Matt describes the track as “that one epic party that all of us have either been to, or hope to go to, at some point in our lives”. Upon the release of ‘Musta Had a Good Time’, Parmalee received a lot if media attention, such as; being featured as a Billboard ‘Bubbling Under’ artist in June of 2012, and as Clear Channel’s ‘NEW! Artist to Watch (Country)’. The track was also picked as one of CountryMusicIsLove.com’s ‘Top 15 Songs of Summer’. Parmalee had even more success with tier second single ‘Carolina’ (which was released to country radio in February of 2013. Carolina peaked at #2 on the ‘US Billboard Country Charts’, and #1 on the ‘US Billboard Airplay Charts’ (‘Musta Had A Good Time’ peaked at #42 on the ‘US Billboard Country Charts’, and #38 on the ‘US Billboard Airplay Charts’). The track was eventually certified as ‘Gold’. The wide success of ‘Carolina’ perfectly set the stage for a Parmalee to release their latest LP ‘Feels Like Carolina’ (which was released in December 2013, and peaked at #10 on the ‘Billboard US Country Charts’). Parmalee released their third single ‘Close Your Eyes’, to country radio in February of 2014. Although ‘Close Your Eyes’ did not have quite the success that ‘Carolina’ had, it still peaked at #29 on the ‘US Billboard Country Charts’, and #27 on the ‘US Billboard Airplay Charts’.

Parmalee’s lead single ‘Musta Had A Good Time’ (Parmalee – Musta Had a Good Time (Music Video)) is a fun energetic song that is perfect for large party, or to just to jam out to while driving around. The theme of the song is perfectly in tune with the classic party mentality that has always been prevalent in country music. With fun lyrics, a high energy beat, and the power to fill a dance floor, I can definitely see why this song brought such great fortune for Parmalee. The band’s next single ‘Carolina’ (PARMALEE – Carolina) definitely went in a different direction than ‘Musta Had A Good Time’, however the powerful track was still able to grab the attention and hearts of country music fans. This emotional love song tells the story of the pain that a person feels when they are away from their loved ones for a significant amount of time. This is the perfect song for couples, or families that have to spend a large amount of time away from one another. The lyrics in this song are very raw and emotional, but are also relatable in such a way that it is easy to feel a personal connection to the song. I could definitely see ‘Carolina’ becoming one of music’s greatest love songs. Parmalee’s newest single’ Close Your Eyes’ (Parmalee – Close Your Eyes – YouTube) represents a nice marriage between the vibes that made up ‘Musta Had A Good Time’, and ‘Carolina’. I really love that this track is fun and energetic, but also has that romantic vibe that fans love. ‘Close Your Eyes’ is basically about meeting someone and wanting to get closer to them, which is a feeling that everyone can relate to. I really love that Parmalee has been able to how their vast knowledge as artists, by releasing singles that their fans will love, but that also make chronological sense. You can definitely see that the member of Parmalee not only has a great mind for

So are you completely addicted to them…yeah I knew you would be. After listening to their music, it is easy to see why everyone has fallen in love with Parmalee. The band’s music is catchy, heartfelt, and has lyrics that paint a picture of every story the track discusses. Also, Parmalee is at its’ core a country band, but also dabbles within the pop and rock genres, which allows the band’s music to rise a wider audience. With all of these pieces perfectly combining to make up this dream band, it’s clear that Parmalee has a long career ahead of them. So make sure you stay up to date with everything Parmalee is up to, so you don’t miss out on Country Music’s next big thing.

All photos and information used in this blog belong to Parmalee, Stoney Creek Records, RCA, the state of North Carolina, the city of Parmale, Jerry Thomas, any and all members of The Jerry Thomas and The Thomas Brothers Band, Matt Thomas, Scott Thomas, Barry Knox, Josh McSwain, David Bendeth, Water Music Studios, Windswept Publishing,Stevo Bruno, Nikki Sixx, David Fanning, Mötley Crüe, Kevin Beamish, Billboard, Clear Channel, New Voice Entertainment at Sound Stage Studios, VEVOI, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and all other original owners. I do not own anything in this blog. All opinions expressed in this blog are my own. I wrote this blog for entertainment purposes and no copyright infringement is intended.

Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘Monday Memos’, we are going to discuss a band that is quickly taking the music industry by storm. This band has already toured and worked with some big names in the music industry, and they are on their way to quickly becoming a HUGE name in the industry. I’ve been listening to this band’s music for years now, and their growth throughout that time is amazing. Now who is this band you say? Honestly you’ve probably already heard of them, but if for some insane reason you haven’t (drum roll please) it’s…Action Item (cool name right?). So if you’ve been a fan of this band for years, or you’ve never heard of them but want to , then keep reading…go on you know you want to!

Action item is a 4 piece band from New Jersey that consists of Brian Cag, Anthony Li, Dan Brozek, and David Buczkowski. They originally began as a 5 piece band with vocalist Joe Politz, and began posting songs on Myspace. They eventually parted ways with Joe, and Brian and Anthony began lending their vocals to the songs. In early 2008, they recorded the tracks for their 1st EP ‘The World And I’ (y’all can read more about that in the next paragraph). In the past few years, Action Item has opened for acts such as: Hot Chelle Rae, Andy Grammer, Allstar Weekend, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez & Boys Like Girls. Action Item toured extensively on the east coast, and played the New Jersey date of the ‘Warped Tour’. In October of 2011, Action Item went on their ‘The Stronger The Love’ tour with fellow pop/rock bands Burnham, Hollywood Ending, and opening acts Days Difference and Katelyn Tarver. On January 4th, 2013 they toured in support of their latest EP ‘Resolution’, which charted at #9 on the Billboard Independent chart and #72 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. The tour included Pop/Rock band Before You Exit and Hello Highway, with special guests Max Schneider, Deleasa, and GOLDHOUSE. Action Item’s music video for “Last Day of Summer” reached #1 on MTV.com, and their latest collaboration with YouTube superstar Kurt Schneider (“Brave” – Action Item), which featured a new rendition of their song for their most recent single ‘Brave’. In late 2013, Action Item supported Hip Hop/Pop artist Jake Miller on his first nationwide sold out headlining tour.

Action Item release their debut EP ‘The World And I’ on May 20th, 2008. I really love this EP, because it the songs are full of energy and fun to listen to. ‘The World And I’ is definitely a great introduction to Action Item as a band. I really like their sound on this EP, because it is definitely reminiscent of early Fallout Boy infused with Papa Roach. I definitely suggest that you all pick up ‘The World And I’ (I mean it’s only $4.95 so c’mon…your favorite playlists will thank you trust me). On April 27th, 2009, released a 3 track acoustic album entitled ‘Acoustic’, which featured stripped down versions of ‘Dressed for the Weather’ and ‘Loved and Looked After’ from their ‘The World and I’ EP. ‘Acoustic’ also featured a demo track of the song ‘A Way With Words’. On June 26, 2009 Action Item released their ‘Boy With The Microphone’ EP. The EP consisted of three versions of the track ‘Boy With The Microphone’, including the demo version of the song. The EP also contained the demo version of the track Atlantic

After two years of carefully crafting their songs, Action Item came back stronger than ever with the release of their first full album ‘The Stronger The Love’ on August 17th, 2010. I really loved that they experimented with their sound within the pop/rock genre for this album, resulting in a great and diverse record. One of my favorite tracks on the album is ‘Without You’, which has a very jazzy meets pop feel that is a fun addition to the overall record. Although most of the songs have a different feel to them, I really like that they’ve incorporated their original sound in tracks such as ‘Some Days’, which has a very throwback sound to their ‘The World And I’ EP. Action Item re-released their track ‘When Everything Falls Back Down’ (Action Item ft. Chelsea Kane – “When Everything Falls Back Down” – YouTube) on February 8th, 2011 as a duet featuring Chelsea Kane (formally Chelsea Staub who is also an actress and has starred on shows such as ABC Family’s hit show ‘Baby Daddy’ and Disney Channel’s popular show ‘Jonas’, etc.). I really love the themes of love, friendship, and the importance of being there for the ones you love that are present in this track. Also, I like the way that the two voices on the track blend perfectly with one another and produce a very cohesive track.

In 2011 Action Item released their ‘Learn To Fly’ EP with the lead single ‘Learn To Fly’ (Action Item – Learn to Fly – YouTube which was co-written and produced by Nick Jonas), which was released on August 4th, 2011. The single ‘Learn To Fly’ shows that the band is continuously cultivating their sound, and exploring the musical spectrum of genres (unfortunately I couldn’t find the rest of the EP on iTunes, but I really loved this single). They released a single entitled ‘Winter Rolls Around’ (Action Item – Winter Rolls Around [OFFICIAL VIDEO] – YouTube) on December 16th, 2011, which is the perfect for hanging out by a fire during the winter time with your favorite person and/or cup of hot chocolate.

On April 3rd, 2012 they released their love song ‘Marching Band’, which is the perfect track for the spring, because you know they say that love is in air and all that (it’s also a fun song to listen to if you’re in the “forever alone club”…it’s ok…be strong). On August 9th, 2012 Action Item released their next single ‘Last Day of Summer’, to accompany their EP of the same name (I couldn’t find this EP on iTunes either). ‘Last Day of Summer’ is definitely one of my favorite Action Item songs, because the track is high energy, fun, and the perfect song for summer (not just the last day!). The band’s latest EP ‘Resolution’ was released on January 1st, 2013, with the lead single ‘Brave’. I really enjoyed this album, because the tracks were diverse, making the album enjoyable and relatable from beginning to end. From the emotionally driven songs (Where We Left Off’, ‘Good or Bad’ Action Item – GOOD OR BAD [Official Music Video] – YouTube), to the high energy fun songs (‘Better Than Perfect’, ‘Lucky’, ‘Bad for You’), and the inspirational tracks (Brave’ and ‘Moments’), this album just gets better and stronger as it continues. Action Item’s latest single ‘The Start of Something’ was released on December 10th, 2013. This upbeat track has a much more alternative vibe to it than anything Action Item has released, but the track is a PERFECT addition to any spring/summer playlists you have.

If you haven’t already, I definitely suggest that you check them out. Currently, they are on a 4 date mini-tour in select cities, as part of their ‘An Intimate Night With Action Item’ tour, so if you are able to make it out to one of the remaining dates; I definitely suggest that you invest in tickets! If you love fun, energetic music that will make you laugh, inspire you too be great, and keep you entertained then Action Item is the band for you. Whether or not you’re a fan of Pop or Rock music, you will certainly become a fan of this band once you listen to them. I promise y’all that Action Item will quickly become your favorite new band.

Hello people of the internet!!! Now I know what you may be thinking from reading the title and let me clarify one thing right now…This is not a hate blog! I wouldn’t write anything bad about Rebecca Black or anybody else, spread love people, not hate. Now back to the blog….Rebecca Black was born on June 21, 1997, and raised in Irvine, CA. She has stated in interviews that, like most girls, she dreamed of becoming a famous singer from a very young age. On March 14, 2011, 13 year old Rebecca received her wish. In 2011 Rebecca’s parents paid Clarence Jay and Patrice Wilson $4,000 to write and produce a track for Rebecca, as well as make her a music video to go along with the single. And thus the song ‘Friday’ was born!

‘Friday’ quickly became a viral sensation, and launched Rebecca on a career path of rewards and heartache. ‘Friday’ was quickly dubbed “the worst song ever” by Yahoo! Music and given negative reviews by many other music critics. The song also broke YouTube records only 2 weeks after its release by surpassing Justin Bieber’s song ‘Baby’ as the most disliked video on YouTube. Rebecca temporarily took the video off of YouTube, but posted it again on June 14, 2011 and as of November 4, 2013 it has 1.2 million dislikes, 309,922 likes, and 60,001,272 views. Although Rebecca admits that she received a large amount of hate and death threat because of ‘Friday’ she has also made some powerful fans. Numerous celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Chris Brown, Miley Cyrus, Simon Cowell, and Katy Perry (who asked Rebecca to star in her ‘Last Friday Night’ video) have come to Rebecca’s defense regarding ‘Friday’. The song has also been covered by the hit FOX show ‘Glee’, and Rebecca has performed the song on ‘The Tonight Show’ and ‘America’s Got Talent’. Also, ‘Friday’ charted in numerous countries, such as at #58 on the U.S Billboard Hot 100 and #61 on the U.K Singles Chart. Since ‘Friday’, Rebecca has been hard at work on her own music, and as of November 4, 2013 she has release four original singles.

Rebecca’s success with ‘Friday’ has caused many people to try and replicate her success, and some have been able to find success with songs that many claim are “bad”. One example of a young girl who has used “The Rebecca Black Effect” to become famous is Nicole Westbrook who, with the assistance of Patrice Wilson, released her viral song ‘It’s Thanksgiving’ on November 7, 2012. As of November 4, 2013 the song has 261,440 dislikes, 36,057 likes, and 15,019,791 views on YouTube and received 10,000,000 views in the first two weeks after it was released. Nicole has performed ‘It’s Thanksgiving’ on ‘The Anderson Cooper Show’ and ‘Access Hollywood’. Other people who have been able to gain success in this way are the duo ‘Double Take’ (two 17 year old girls who released their song ‘Hot Problems’ on April 15, 2012 and now have 18,186,151 views) and Tay Allyn (a 23 year old USC graduate who uploaded her song ‘Mass Text’ on July 16, 2013 and as of November 4, 2013 has 1,805,224 views).

The most recent girl who has found success with “The Rebecca Black Effect” is 11 year old Alison Gold who’s song ‘Chinese Food’ was posted on October 14, 2013 and received over 7 million views in 3 days. On October 23, 2013 the song charted on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 at #29, and as of November 4, 2013 has 149,854 dislikes, 40,296, and 12,271,121 views on YouTube. When this song was released it was featured on many media outlets such as TMZ and ABC News. Although Alison has gain publicity from the viral hit, ‘Chinese Food’ has also received controversy due to claims that the song promotes Chinese stereotypes and racist beliefs of the Asian community. On November 4, 2013, Alison released a follow up single to ‘Chinese Food’ titled ‘ABCDEFG’.

As you can see, there appears to be negative and positive aspects with “The Rebecca Black Effect”. Although this method can bring you fame and publicity, it also comes with hate and controversy. However, this does appear to be a way to fast track a singing career, so I guess it depends on the individual person as to whether or not it is worth it. What do you think of “The Rebecca Black Effect”? Do you think this growing trend will affect mainstream music in the long run? Please comment below, thanks!

All videos and information used in this blog belong to Rebecca Black, Ark Music Factory, Clarence Joy, Patrice Wilson, ABC News, Tay Allyn, Nicole Westbrook, Double Take, Alison Gold, Old Bailey Productions, YouTube, and all other original owners. I do not own anything in this blog. All opinions expressed in this blog are my own. I wrote this blog for entertainment purposes and no copyright infringement is intended

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